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The FReeper Foxhole Revisits The Battle of Kings Mountain (10/7/1780) - January 76th, 2005
http://www.co.cleveland.nc.us/battle_of_kings_mountain.htm ^
| 1997
| Peggy Beach
Posted on 01/06/2005 10:53:49 PM PST by snippy_about_it
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Cornwallis Is Shaken By The News;
Withdraws Into South Carolina
Cornwallis was shaken when the news of Ferguson's defeat reached his headquarters. He remained in Charlotte a few days before withdrawing back into South Carolina to the British post at Winnsboro.
The British could not count on reinforcements from other South Carolina posts to help them -- the news of victory at Kings Mountain had revived Patriot hopes. The victory triggered bonfires and street dancing in cities held by the Patriots. Soon, Patriot leaders such as Thomas Sumter, Elijah Clarke and Francis "The Swamp Fox" Marion stepped up their harassment of British troops. Patriot sympathizers increased their assaults on Tory neighbors.
Countdown To Yorktown
Cornwallis was not inactive however. He sent Tarleton and a Major Wemyss in hot pursuit of Marion and Sumter. On November 9, Sumter was fully prepared when Wemyss attempted a surprise attack on his forces at Fish Dam Ford. Wemyss and 25 of his men were captured. Sumter then moved with 240 toward the British fort at Ninety Six. Tarleton stopped his pursuit of Marion and went to Fort Ninety Six. Deciding not to face Tarleton at that time, Sumter fled northward to Blackstock's Plantation. On November 20, Tarleton attacked Sumter's forces but to no avail. Tarleton lost 100 men while the Americans only lost three. Tarleton then rejoined Cornwallis.
Meanwhile, Clinton sent General Alexander Leslie to Virginia to prepare for battle there. Leslie was to be under the direct orders of Cornwallis. Cornwallis ordered Leslie to come to South Carolina -- he planned to resume his invasion of North Carolina as soon as Leslie arrived. Believing that Patriot leader Daniel Morgan planned to attack Fort Ninety Six, Cornwallis sent Tarleton to deal with the backwoodsman. Expecting Leslie to arrive in mid-January, Cornwallis planned to advance rapidly northward and cut off the two American armies (Nathaniel Greene's men in the South from George Washington's men in the North). He also hoped to stop the advance of Morgan's forces should they survive the expected encounter with Tarleton.
Cornwallis's hopes were dashed. Morgan's men soundly defeated Tarleton's Legion at the Battle of Cowpens on January 17. Morgan, who was ill with rheumatism and other ailments, joined Greene's army before returning to his home in Virginia. Greene saw that Cornwallis, who had left South Carolina, was getting further away from his train of supplies and provisions. Eventually, the two forces met in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Technically, the British won that battle but it was a Pyrrhic victory because British losses were high. One man in four was killed, wounded or captured.
Throughout the summer, skirmishes were fought across the Carolinas and Virginia. In September, the army of Cornwallis and the army of Washington met at Yorktown. After a 20-day battle, Cornwallis surrendered. The war officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris two years later.
Legacy Of Kings Mountain
Many of the Patriot leaders at Kings Mountain went on to serve in their new country's government.
John Sevier became Governor of Tennessee and Isaac Shelby became Governor of Kentucky. Returning to his home in Burke County, Charles McDowell served in the N.C. State Legislature and later the U.S. Congress. Joseph Winston also served in the U.S. Congress. He later represented his home of Surry and Stokes counties in the N.C. State Legislature. Benjamin Cleveland served as a judge for many years before his death in 1806. William Campbell did not survive the war. He died of a heart ailment in August 1781 while visiting relatives in Hanover County.
As the years passed, the battle of Kings Mountain was remembered by historians and local residents alike. Many roads and towns in Western North Carolina bear the names of the battle's participants. McDowell County is named Charles McDowell and his family. McDowell and his soldiers thought so highly of Daniel Morgan that they persuaded residents of Burke County to name the county seat Morganton.
The North Carolina city of Kings Mountain used to be called White Plains. When the city was incorporated in 1874, Mrs. James Wright Tracey decided that Kings Mountain would be a more appropriate name since the community was the closest town to the mountain.
The City of Shelby is named for Isaac Shelby. Many streets in Shelby including Washington, Lafayette and Marion, are named for Revolutionary War heroes.
Shelby and Kings Mountain are in Cleveland County, which was named for Benjamin Cleveland. The county was formed in 1841 and until 1885, spelled its name "Cleaveland," just the way the colonel spelled his name. However, in 1885, Grover Cleveland became president and there was some confusion over the spelling of the county's name. In 1887, a special bill was passed in the North Carolina General Assembly which authorized the elimination of the letter a.
Very few Cleveland County residents actually fought in the battle of Kings Mountain. Historians estimate that the number was around 35 persons -- the area at the time was not heavily populated. One soldier who did fight was Colonel Fredrick Hambright. Hambright led a company of men onto the battlefield. He was severely wounded in the thigh, which caused him to limp for the rest of his life.
Patrick Ferguson has also received a measure of fame. As mentioned earlier, 20th century scholars believe Ferguson was the would be George Washington assailant at the battle of Brandywine. Ferguson has also received acclaim for his invention, the breechloading Ferguson rifle. Sycamore Shoals State Park and the John Sevier State Historic Site are looking for working Ferguson rifles for their museum exhibits. Some gunsmiths say that further use of the rifle would possibly have changed the outcome of the American Revolution and definitely the result of the War of 1812.
Historians agree that the battle of Kings Mountain was the beginning of the end of British rule in its former colonies. In less than one hour of battle, the Overmountain Men not only captured the day but also punctured holes in the British strategy for keeping America under its control.
Thanks to FReeper Coleus for the suggestion and research on this Thread
To: All
............
Patrick Ferguson -- Keen Rifleman
Joining the British army at age 15, Ferguson was a well known marksman and the inventor of a breechloading rifle. The son of a Scottish judge, Ferguson had an affable disposition, a gentle face and was slight of build. Nevertheless, his soldiers named him "Bulldog."
Ferguson distinguished himself early on in his military career. Serving as a cornet in the Royal North British Dragoons, Ferguson was considered by his superiors as a courageous fighter during the wars of Flanders and Germany in the 1760's. In 1768, he joined the Seventieth Regiment of Foot in the West Indies, where British troops engaged in guerilla warfare with the native Carib tribes. Ferguson went for garrison duty at Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1773 but soon became bored.

Patrick Ferguson
Ferguson's ability with a rifle was well known. While visiting his family's estate in Scotland before the American Revolution, he began to develop a rifle of his own. After completing the invention, Ferguson displayed the rifle for military leaders and even King George III witnessed one of Ferguson's demonstrations.
During one demonstration, Ferguson fired at a rate of 4-6 shots per minute during pouring rain and high wind. Apparently, Ferguson only missed the target three times while firing from a distance of 200 yards -- this was not possible with the British Brown Bess musket. A patent was issued and a limited number of the breechloading rifles were produced. Ferguson established an elite rifle corps which joined Sir Henry Clinton in America. Their mission: to help stop the rebellion in the colonies.
Ferguson Has Washington In His Sights
At the Battle of Brandywine (September 11, 1777), Ferguson was wounded in the arm and his rifle corps was later disbanded. The Ferguson rifles were removed and very few have been seen since. There is no evidence that the Ferguson rifle was used at the Battle of Kings Mountain.
It was at the Battle of Brandywine that Ferguson distinguished himself further though many did not know about it until the 20th century. Scholars believe that Ferguson was the British soldier who had George Washington in his gun sight. Ferguson did not pull the trigger, saying that "it is ungentlemanly to shoot a man in the back of the head."
Ferguson himself mentioned the incident in a letter he dictated a few months later. During the battle, he did not realize the identity of the American officer. While recuperating in the hospital from his arm injury, he discovered that the American officer in question was George Washington. Ferguson wrote that even if he had known, he would not have pulled the trigger. Ferguson's letters are available in the library at Edinburgh University.
Ferguson later fought in the battles of Monmouth and Little Egg Harbor. He was also active in many other battles in the New York and Hudson area. Impressing his superiors with his valor, Ferguson was promoted to Major in 1779.
Late that year, he was selected to command a corps of 300 men, called the American Volunteers. The men were Loyalists, handpicked from units in the New York and New Jersey area. The corps, along with Ferguson, arrived in the South in early February 1780. Ferguson, a persuasive individual, immediately gathered support in Savannah and Augusta before Clinton ordered him to Charleston.
During the invasion of that city, Ferguson worked with the legendary Banastre Tarleton, who had angered many Patriots after his massacre of soldiers trying to surrender to him at Waxhaw. Author Washington Irving later wrote that Ferguson and Tarleton were "equally intrepid and determined but Ferguson is cooler, and more open to the impulses of humanity." In fact, some researchers believe that Ferguson despised Tarleton's methods.
After Charleston fell, Ferguson was appointed to the position of Inspector General of the Militia. Clinton and Cornwallis gave him the mission to organize a volunteer corps of Loyalists troops. Ferguson's men thought highly of him -- he had a natural ability to gain their affection and respect. The Scot was known for spending hours in conversations with the ordinary people around the villages and towns in South Carolina. South Carolina remained a Loyalist stronghold until the end of the war, largely due to his influence.
Additional Sources: www.americanrevolution.com
www.military.state.ky.us
www.sar.org
www.state.tn.us
www.knowitall.org
www.degrem.com
www.wilkesnc.org
www.tngenweb.org
www.patriotresource.com
jrshelby.com
The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The Battle of Kings Mountain (10/7/1780) - June 17th, 2003
2
posted on
01/06/2005 10:54:25 PM PST
by
snippy_about_it
(Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
To: All
'The Americans had riflemen who could hit a man anywhere they liked at 200 paces... At King's Mountain, they destroyed us.' -- British Captain writing after the war. |
3
posted on
01/06/2005 10:54:51 PM PST
by
snippy_about_it
(Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
To: SZonian; soldierette; shield; A Jovial Cad; Diva Betsy Ross; Americanwolf; CarolinaScout; ...

"FALL IN" to the FReeper Foxhole!

It's Friday. Good Morning Everyone.
If you want to be added to our ping list, let us know.
If you'd like to drop us a note you can write to:
The Foxhole
19093 S. Beavercreek Rd. #188
Oregon City, OR 97045
4
posted on
01/06/2005 10:56:08 PM PST
by
snippy_about_it
(Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
To: All

Veterans for Constitution Restoration is a non-profit, non-partisan educational and grassroots activist organization.

Actively seeking volunteers to provide this valuable service to Veterans and their families.
Thanks to quietolong for providing this link.
NOW UPDATED THROUGH JULY 31st, 2004
Categorized by PAR35

The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul
Click on Hagar for
"The FReeper Foxhole Compiled List of Daily Threads"
5
posted on
01/06/2005 10:56:32 PM PST
by
snippy_about_it
(Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul.)
To: snippy_about_it; SAMWolf; bentfeather; Darksheare; Light Speed; PhilDragoo; Matthew Paul; All
Good morning y'all! 
To all our military men and women past and present, military family members, and to our allies who stand beside us Thank You! 
|
6
posted on
01/07/2005 12:55:38 AM PST
by
radu
(May God watch over our troops and keep them safe)
To: snippy_about_it
Good morning Snippy.
7
posted on
01/07/2005 1:52:47 AM PST
by
Aeronaut
(Proud to be a monthly donor.)
To: snippy_about_it
Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the Foxhole.
8
posted on
01/07/2005 3:05:31 AM PST
by
E.G.C.
To: snippy_about_it
9
posted on
01/07/2005 4:15:55 AM PST
by
SAMWolf
(All wiyht. Rho sritched mg kegtops awound?)
To: radu
Morning Radu.
Any new cats show up this year?
10
posted on
01/07/2005 4:17:32 AM PST
by
SAMWolf
(All wiyht. Rho sritched mg kegtops awound?)
To: Aeronaut
11
posted on
01/07/2005 4:17:48 AM PST
by
SAMWolf
(All wiyht. Rho sritched mg kegtops awound?)
To: SAMWolf
Hi Sam. Up before breakfast today?
12
posted on
01/07/2005 4:21:53 AM PST
by
Aeronaut
(Proud to be a monthly donor.)
To: Aeronaut
13
posted on
01/07/2005 4:27:15 AM PST
by
SAMWolf
(All wiyht. Rho sritched mg kegtops awound?)
To: snippy_about_it; SAMWolf; All
January 7, 2005
I'm In Debt
Read: Romans 1:8-17
I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. Romans 1:14
Bible In One Year: Genesis 20-22
A shopper underestimated the total cost of her groceries. When the cashier added up the items, the woman was $4 short. Then something unusual happened. The man behind her in the checkout lane saw her digging through her purse and motioned to the clerk to put the amount on his bill. He modestly refused to give the woman his name.
A few days later, the local newspaper reported that a charity organization had received a $4 check with the following note: "This check is for the man who helped me out of a tight spot. I came up with the idea of giving it to you as a thank-you to him."
This incident illustrates a vital spiritual principle. We should feel an obligation to pass along to others the kindnesses shown to us. That's how the apostle Paul responded to God's mercy. Of course, he could never repay the Lord for salvation, but that didn't stop him from openly showing his gratitude. Because of what he had received, he showed the highest kind of charitysharing the gospel with others.
Let's not think that because we can't repay God for saving us, we owe Him nothing. We are indebted to Him for everything. The least we can do is show our appreciation by telling others about Him. Mart De Haan
How much I owe for love divine!
How much I owe that Christ is mine!
But what He did for me I know,
I cannot tell how much I owe. Hamilton
Jesus gave His all for us. Do we give our all for Him?
14
posted on
01/07/2005 4:32:29 AM PST
by
The Mayor
(When trouble overtakes you, let God take over)
To: snippy_about_it
January 76th, 2005
30 days has september april june and november
all the rest have 31 ,except February which has 28, and January that has 76.:-)
15
posted on
01/07/2005 4:33:12 AM PST
by
Valin
(Sometimes you're the bug, and sometimes you're the windshield)
To: The Mayor
16
posted on
01/07/2005 4:41:18 AM PST
by
SAMWolf
(All wiyht. Rho sritched mg kegtops awound?)
To: Valin
LOL!
Nice catch, I didn't even notice. I thought it's been a long month.
17
posted on
01/07/2005 4:42:27 AM PST
by
SAMWolf
(All wiyht. Rho sritched mg kegtops awound?)
To: snippy_about_it
Good morning..it's pouring rain this morning. We had a cold front come through and dropped our temps from shirt sleeve weather to heavy coat wearther over night.
18
posted on
01/07/2005 4:42:32 AM PST
by
GailA
(Happy New Year)
To: GailA
Morning GailA.
Don't you just love winter? ;-)
19
posted on
01/07/2005 4:45:04 AM PST
by
SAMWolf
(All wiyht. Rho sritched mg kegtops awound?)
To: SAMWolf
Mornin Sam, your up early..
20
posted on
01/07/2005 4:46:16 AM PST
by
The Mayor
(When trouble overtakes you, let God take over)
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